In the 48 hours since the discovery of a fire in the Governor’s Mansion in Harrisburg, some questions have been answered but many more have arisen.
Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) reported that Balmer, 38, scaled a 7-foot-high iron security fence in the early hours of Sunday morning, broke into and set fire to the governor’s residence with several incendiary devices, according to the criminal complaint. Gov. Josh Shapiro, his wife Lori, their four children and other family members and guests were inside the residence at that time.
“He actively evaded troopers who were here to secure the residence even while they were searching for him on the property,” Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said at a news conference, adding that a security review was underway to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
Balmer has been charged on eight counts, including six felony charges for criminal homicide, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism, and two for aggravated assault.
The Pennsylvania State Police is tasked with protecting the governor, lieutenant governor and their families under a special team called the Executive Services Office. Troopers were on duty the night of the fire, according to an affidavit for Balmer’s arrest. Security cameras on the grounds caught much of the incident.
Shapiro praised first responders for their quick actions, but questions remain as to how Balmer was able to easily scale the fence enclosure, evade police, and break into the residence.
The complaint reported that Balmer removed gasoline from a lawn mower and poured it into Heineken beer bottles at his residence. He broke two windows with a hammer and threw the crude Molotov cocktails inside. After admitting that he was aware that people could be injured by his actions, Balmer said that if he had run into Shapiro, “he would have beaten him with his hammer.”
According to CBS News, Balmer’s mother, Christie, said her son had stopped taking an unspecified medication and that she had made calls in the days prior to the arson about his mental health issues to four different police departments, but “couldn’t get anybody to help.”
At his arraignment hearing, Cody Balmer told a judge he did not have a mental illness, saying it was a “rumor.” He also mentioned that “medication led me to all different kinds of behavior.”
The 29,000 square-foot mansion on the Susquehanna River was completed in 1968 and has been the address for eight governors. Authorities say the residence had no fire suppression sprinklers but did have smoke detectors.
According to a report from CNN, PSP officials did not answer the network’s questions about whether smoke alarms went off at the property.
Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline said damage to the residence could have been far worse had a door leading from the reception area of the home not been closed. The blaze was under control within 30 minutes, but extensive damage had already taken place. He estimated repairs could cost “millions of dollars” in part because of the historic nature of the residence.
It is not the first time that the residence has been damaged, as the mansion was engulfed by five feet of water after flooding during Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
The attack came just hours after Shapiro and his family celebrated the first night of Passover with the traditional seder. While nothing in the criminal complaint or initial hearing for Balmer indicated that anti-semitism had a role in the attack, it is not hard to draw a line to that conclusion due to the arson’s proximity to the eight-day observance of Passover, the Jewish holiday that commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt.
The Jewish Democratic Council of America issued a statement, stating “We are deeply disturbed by the unconscionable targeting of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his family. This horrific incident is traumatic for Jewish Americans, who have felt the rise of antisemitism and hate throughout the United States. On the holiday of Passover, when we celebrate our freedom from oppression and think of those held in captivity in Gaza and others afflicted by hate, we condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms.”
The Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition add, “While the investigation continues, the convergence of these factors, especially given the long history of antisemitic pogroms on the Passover holiday, raises serious concerns and pain for our community. Antisemitic attacks have risen significantly across Pennsylvania and the United States in recent years. These acts must not be tolerated in any civilized society. Everyone has the right to worship freely, and our differences should not only be tolerated – but embraced and celebrated.”
Shapiro declined to call the fire a hate crime, but did state “Hear me on this, we celebrated our faith last night proudly, and in a few hours, we will celebrate our second Seder of Passover again proudly.”
Balmer was denied bail and awaits a preliminary hearing before Judge Dale E. Klein on Wednesday, April 23, at 11 a.m. at a site to be determined.
In the 48 hours since the discovery of a fire in the Governor’s Mansion in Harrisburg, some questions have been answered but many more have arisen.
Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) reported that Balmer, 38, scaled a 7-foot-high iron security fence in the early hours of Sunday morning, broke into and set fire to the governor’s residence with several incendiary devices, according to the criminal complaint. Gov. Josh Shapiro, his wife Lori, their four children and other family members and guests were inside the residence at that time.
“He actively evaded troopers who were here to secure the residence even while they were searching for him on the property,” Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said at a news conference, adding that a security review was underway to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
Balmer has been charged on eight counts, including six felony charges for criminal homicide, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism, and two for aggravated assault.
The Pennsylvania State Police is tasked with protecting the governor, lieutenant governor and their families under a special team called the Executive Services Office. Troopers were on duty the night of the fire, according to an affidavit for Balmer’s arrest. Security cameras on the grounds caught much of the incident.
Shapiro praised first responders for their quick actions, but questions remain as to how Balmer was able to easily scale the fence enclosure, evade police, and break into the residence.
The complaint reported that Balmer removed gasoline from a lawn mower and poured it into Heineken beer bottles at his residence. He broke two windows with a hammer and threw the crude Molotov cocktails inside. After admitting that he was aware that people could be injured by his actions, Balmer said that if he had run into Shapiro, “he would have beaten him with his hammer.”
According to CBS News, Balmer’s mother, Christie, said her son had stopped taking an unspecified medication and that she had made calls in the days prior to the arson about his mental health issues to four different police departments, but “couldn’t get anybody to help.”
At his arraignment hearing, Cody Balmer told a judge he did not have a mental illness, saying it was a “rumor.” He also mentioned that “medication led me to all different kinds of behavior.”
The 29,000 square-foot mansion on the Susquehanna River was completed in 1968 and has been the address for eight governors. Authorities say the residence had no fire suppression sprinklers but did have smoke detectors.
According to a report from CNN, PSP officials did not answer the network’s questions about whether smoke alarms went off at the property.
Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline said damage to the residence could have been far worse had a door leading from the reception area of the home not been closed. The blaze was under control within 30 minutes, but extensive damage had already taken place. He estimated repairs could cost “millions of dollars” in part because of the historic nature of the residence.
It is not the first time that the residence has been damaged, as the mansion was engulfed by five feet of water after flooding during Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
The attack came just hours after Shapiro and his family celebrated the first night of Passover with the traditional seder. While nothing in the criminal complaint or initial hearing for Balmer indicated that anti-semitism had a role in the attack, it is not hard to draw a line to that conclusion due to the arson’s proximity to the eight-day observance of Passover, the Jewish holiday that commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt.
The Jewish Democratic Council of America issued a statement, stating “We are deeply disturbed by the unconscionable targeting of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his family. This horrific incident is traumatic for Jewish Americans, who have felt the rise of antisemitism and hate throughout the United States. On the holiday of Passover, when we celebrate our freedom from oppression and think of those held in captivity in Gaza and others afflicted by hate, we condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms.”
The Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition add, “While the investigation continues, the convergence of these factors, especially given the long history of antisemitic pogroms on the Passover holiday, raises serious concerns and pain for our community. Antisemitic attacks have risen significantly across Pennsylvania and the United States in recent years. These acts must not be tolerated in any civilized society. Everyone has the right to worship freely, and our differences should not only be tolerated – but embraced and celebrated.”
Shapiro declined to call the fire a hate crime, but did state “Hear me on this, we celebrated our faith last night proudly, and in a few hours, we will celebrate our second Seder of Passover again proudly.”
Balmer was denied bail and awaits a preliminary hearing before Judge Dale E. Klein on Wednesday, April 23, at 11 a.m. at a site to be determined.
In the 48 hours since the discovery of a fire in the Governor’s Mansion in Harrisburg, some questions have been answered but many more have arisen.
Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) reported that Balmer, 38, scaled a 7-foot-high iron security fence in the early hours of Sunday morning, broke into and set fire to the governor’s residence with several incendiary devices, according to the criminal complaint. Gov. Josh Shapiro, his wife Lori, their four children and other family members and guests were inside the residence at that time.
“He actively evaded troopers who were here to secure the residence even while they were searching for him on the property,” Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said at a news conference, adding that a security review was underway to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
Balmer has been charged on eight counts, including six felony charges for criminal homicide, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism, and two for aggravated assault.
The Pennsylvania State Police is tasked with protecting the governor, lieutenant governor and their families under a special team called the Executive Services Office. Troopers were on duty the night of the fire, according to an affidavit for Balmer’s arrest. Security cameras on the grounds caught much of the incident.
Shapiro praised first responders for their quick actions, but questions remain as to how Balmer was able to easily scale the fence enclosure, evade police, and break into the residence.
The complaint reported that Balmer removed gasoline from a lawn mower and poured it into Heineken beer bottles at his residence. He broke two windows with a hammer and threw the crude Molotov cocktails inside. After admitting that he was aware that people could be injured by his actions, Balmer said that if he had run into Shapiro, “he would have beaten him with his hammer.”
According to CBS News, Balmer’s mother, Christie, said her son had stopped taking an unspecified medication and that she had made calls in the days prior to the arson about his mental health issues to four different police departments, but “couldn’t get anybody to help.”
At his arraignment hearing, Cody Balmer told a judge he did not have a mental illness, saying it was a “rumor.” He also mentioned that “medication led me to all different kinds of behavior.”
The 29,000 square-foot mansion on the Susquehanna River was completed in 1968 and has been the address for eight governors. Authorities say the residence had no fire suppression sprinklers but did have smoke detectors.
According to a report from CNN, PSP officials did not answer the network’s questions about whether smoke alarms went off at the property.
Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline said damage to the residence could have been far worse had a door leading from the reception area of the home not been closed. The blaze was under control within 30 minutes, but extensive damage had already taken place. He estimated repairs could cost “millions of dollars” in part because of the historic nature of the residence.
It is not the first time that the residence has been damaged, as the mansion was engulfed by five feet of water after flooding during Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
The attack came just hours after Shapiro and his family celebrated the first night of Passover with the traditional seder. While nothing in the criminal complaint or initial hearing for Balmer indicated that anti-semitism had a role in the attack, it is not hard to draw a line to that conclusion due to the arson’s proximity to the eight-day observance of Passover, the Jewish holiday that commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt.
The Jewish Democratic Council of America issued a statement, stating “We are deeply disturbed by the unconscionable targeting of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his family. This horrific incident is traumatic for Jewish Americans, who have felt the rise of antisemitism and hate throughout the United States. On the holiday of Passover, when we celebrate our freedom from oppression and think of those held in captivity in Gaza and others afflicted by hate, we condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms.”
The Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition add, “While the investigation continues, the convergence of these factors, especially given the long history of antisemitic pogroms on the Passover holiday, raises serious concerns and pain for our community. Antisemitic attacks have risen significantly across Pennsylvania and the United States in recent years. These acts must not be tolerated in any civilized society. Everyone has the right to worship freely, and our differences should not only be tolerated – but embraced and celebrated.”
Shapiro declined to call the fire a hate crime, but did state “Hear me on this, we celebrated our faith last night proudly, and in a few hours, we will celebrate our second Seder of Passover again proudly.”
Balmer was denied bail and awaits a preliminary hearing before Judge Dale E. Klein on Wednesday, April 23, at 11 a.m. at a site to be determined.
In the 48 hours since the discovery of a fire in the Governor’s Mansion in Harrisburg, some questions have been answered but many more have arisen.
Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) reported that Balmer, 38, scaled a 7-foot-high iron security fence in the early hours of Sunday morning, broke into and set fire to the governor’s residence with several incendiary devices, according to the criminal complaint. Gov. Josh Shapiro, his wife Lori, their four children and other family members and guests were inside the residence at that time.
“He actively evaded troopers who were here to secure the residence even while they were searching for him on the property,” Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said at a news conference, adding that a security review was underway to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
Balmer has been charged on eight counts, including six felony charges for criminal homicide, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism, and two for aggravated assault.
The Pennsylvania State Police is tasked with protecting the governor, lieutenant governor and their families under a special team called the Executive Services Office. Troopers were on duty the night of the fire, according to an affidavit for Balmer’s arrest. Security cameras on the grounds caught much of the incident.
Shapiro praised first responders for their quick actions, but questions remain as to how Balmer was able to easily scale the fence enclosure, evade police, and break into the residence.
The complaint reported that Balmer removed gasoline from a lawn mower and poured it into Heineken beer bottles at his residence. He broke two windows with a hammer and threw the crude Molotov cocktails inside. After admitting that he was aware that people could be injured by his actions, Balmer said that if he had run into Shapiro, “he would have beaten him with his hammer.”
According to CBS News, Balmer’s mother, Christie, said her son had stopped taking an unspecified medication and that she had made calls in the days prior to the arson about his mental health issues to four different police departments, but “couldn’t get anybody to help.”
At his arraignment hearing, Cody Balmer told a judge he did not have a mental illness, saying it was a “rumor.” He also mentioned that “medication led me to all different kinds of behavior.”
The 29,000 square-foot mansion on the Susquehanna River was completed in 1968 and has been the address for eight governors. Authorities say the residence had no fire suppression sprinklers but did have smoke detectors.
According to a report from CNN, PSP officials did not answer the network’s questions about whether smoke alarms went off at the property.
Harrisburg Fire Chief Brian Enterline said damage to the residence could have been far worse had a door leading from the reception area of the home not been closed. The blaze was under control within 30 minutes, but extensive damage had already taken place. He estimated repairs could cost “millions of dollars” in part because of the historic nature of the residence.
It is not the first time that the residence has been damaged, as the mansion was engulfed by five feet of water after flooding during Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
The attack came just hours after Shapiro and his family celebrated the first night of Passover with the traditional seder. While nothing in the criminal complaint or initial hearing for Balmer indicated that anti-semitism had a role in the attack, it is not hard to draw a line to that conclusion due to the arson’s proximity to the eight-day observance of Passover, the Jewish holiday that commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt.
The Jewish Democratic Council of America issued a statement, stating “We are deeply disturbed by the unconscionable targeting of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his family. This horrific incident is traumatic for Jewish Americans, who have felt the rise of antisemitism and hate throughout the United States. On the holiday of Passover, when we celebrate our freedom from oppression and think of those held in captivity in Gaza and others afflicted by hate, we condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms.”
The Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition add, “While the investigation continues, the convergence of these factors, especially given the long history of antisemitic pogroms on the Passover holiday, raises serious concerns and pain for our community. Antisemitic attacks have risen significantly across Pennsylvania and the United States in recent years. These acts must not be tolerated in any civilized society. Everyone has the right to worship freely, and our differences should not only be tolerated – but embraced and celebrated.”
Shapiro declined to call the fire a hate crime, but did state “Hear me on this, we celebrated our faith last night proudly, and in a few hours, we will celebrate our second Seder of Passover again proudly.”
Balmer was denied bail and awaits a preliminary hearing before Judge Dale E. Klein on Wednesday, April 23, at 11 a.m. at a site to be determined.
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